Alma Front Desk Training

Viewing and Editing a Patron Account

To view the items a patron has checked out and other circulation activity:

• Go to Fulfillment > Checkout/Checkin > Manage Patron Services

• Search for the patron using one of the following methods:
  • Scan their banner ID in the search field
  • Begin typing their name or banner ID in the search field, then select them from the list that appears underneath the search box 
  • Click the Select from a List button , then do a basic or advanced search
  • Click the Recent button to select a patron you opened recently
• To see a full list of their checkouts, click the Filter by: This Session dropdown and select All.

• You can also use the left menu to view their Fines and Fees and other information.

To view and/or edit the information in a patron's record, use one of the following methods:

• Follow the instructions above for opening the patron's account, then click their name in the top left box of the screen.

OR

• Use the persistent search bar at the top of the screen

• Select Users as the search type
• Select the criteria you want to use for searching (All will search all fields in the patron record)
• Enter a search term in the search box
• Open the patron record from the list of search results.

If you make any changes to a patron's information, be sure to click the Save button in the top right corner of the screen.

Creating a Patron Account

The majority of the time, patrons will be automatically created by the Student Information System (SIS) load - a job that runs every morning that contains all current student information from the University registrar's office and all current employee information from HR. However, if you search for a patron and can't find them, follow these steps.

• From any window in Alma, go to Fulfillment > Checkout/Checkin > Manage Patron Services

• Select Register New User.

Fill out the user's information (View screenshot below guidelines).

• Enter the user's first and last name.
• In the primary identifier field, delete the automated primary identifier that appears and enter the patron's Banner ID number. It's very important to get this exactly right to avoid duplicate accounts being created when the Student Information System load runs again.
  • If the patron is from a different institution (i.e., Duke, UNC, NC State), enter their ID number from their home institution.
• Select an appropriate user group.
  • For law students, select the group for their year.
  • For law school faculty and staff, select Law School Faculty/Staff
• Calculate an expiration and purge date. These dates should be the same. Law School expiration dates are as follows:
  • Day students = 3 years ending in August of their graduation year.
  • Evening students =  4 years ending in August of their graduation year.
  • Faculty and staff = 10 years.
• Select "Yes" or "No" next to Patron has institutional record.
  • Select Yes for all patrons affiliated with NCCU to ensure that when their record is imported later from the Student Information System, it will match with this record and a duplicate will not be created.
  • Select No if the user will not have a record in the SIS (for example, they are affiliated with another institution).
• Select an email type and enter an email address.
• Optionally, add a home address and/or phone number.
• Select Update user at the top of the page when you're done.